With just days left before the December 31 deadline for filing companies’ annual returns, repeated technical glitches on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) portal have triggered widespread concern among professionals and corporate filers, pushing the hashtag #ExtendDueDateImmediately into the top trends on X.
Over the past few days, hundreds of chartered accountants, company secretaries and compliance professionals have taken to social media to report persistent issues on the MCA portal, including frequent crashes, session timeouts, slow loading pages and failed submissions. Many users claimed they were unable to log in or complete filings despite multiple attempts.
Several professionals said the situation worsened during peak working hours, forcing them to attempt filings late at night or in the early morning hours. Some users publicly tagged the MCA, Ministry of Finance and senior government officials, questioning why the portal continued to malfunction so close to a statutory deadline.
Under existing regulations, missing the annual filing deadline can result in monetary penalties, additional compliance costs and future regulatory scrutiny. Filers argue that technical failures beyond their control could expose companies to unnecessary fines and reputational issues, even when there is no intent to delay compliance.
The growing frustration led to the hashtag “Extend Due Date Immediately” trending on X, with users calling for either a deadline extension or urgent intervention to stabilise the portal. Many warned that without relief, a large number of companies could unintentionally slip into non-compliance.
As of Monday evening, there has been no official communication from the MCA acknowledging the reported glitches or announcing any extension to the December 31 deadline. The absence of clarity has added to anxiety among filers, especially smaller firms and professionals handling multiple client filings.
With the deadline fast approaching, professionals are urging authorities to act quickly—either by ensuring uninterrupted access to the MCA portal or by granting a reasonable extension—to prevent widespread non-compliance caused by system failures rather than regulatory lapses.
